West Indies pulled off another upset as they beat England by seven runs to secure their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup victory over the defending champions. And the headline-grabbing moment from the day was without a doubt a catch for the ages from Deandra Dottin, who enhanced her already established reputation as one of the best fielders in the game.
After losing their way from a good start, Windies clawed their way to a hard-fought 225 for six. And that was a target that would require every inch of their best on the field to defend against a batting lineup as deep as West Indies’.
After bagging a duck in the opening defeat to Australia, Lauren Winfield-Hill’s batting woes continued but this time she could consider herself very unlucky as Dottin took an early contender for catch of the tournament, an outstretched right hand in a full superwoman pose dismissing the opener for 12.
The match swung one way and then the other from there before vice captain Anisa Mohammed finished things off with a superb over and a memorable celebration for a 7-wicket win.
“Yeah, I think I had the best seat in the house to see that. I think Deandra is one of the person - she set a very high standard for herself and in whatever aspect of the game she plays. And to see her come out and execute, I think that was a crucial moment in the game. Deandra is a game changer whether she’s with bat, ball or in the field. And I think it was a spectacular catch, and I know that we would continue to get more from Deandra.”
“[Fielding] was a lot better than the last game. You know, last game we have dropped five catches today I think we had a one or two catches, but fielding is a crucial part of our game. I think that’s one thing we do together as a unit and to see us come out today and execute and put some pressure on England. I thought it was a good start for us and hopefully we can continue growing as a team.”
— West Indies vice captain Anisa Mohammed on Deandra Dottin's catch and West Indies' fielding
Here are some reactions to the fielding effort that will go down as, most likely, the catch of the tournament, and perhaps even one of the catches of the year.
You can watch every angle of the Deandra Dottin catch on the official website here as well.
Scores in brief
West Indies beat England at University Oval, Dunedin by seven runs
West Indies 225/6 in 50.0 overs (Shemaine Campbelle 66, Chedean Nation 49 not out; Sophie Ecclestone 3/20, Nat Sciver 1/49)
England 218 all out in 47.4 overs (Tammy Beaumont 46, Sophia Dunkley 38; Shamilia Connell 3/38, Anisa Mohammed 2/24)
Player of the Match: Shemaine Campbelle (West Indies)
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